Convertible bolt action rifle

ABSTRACT

A bolt action rifle is convertible for use by either right hand or left hand shooters through alteration of the position of the bolt actuating handle and the shell ejector. The bolt actuating handle is mounted by screw means extended through a reversible sleeve. Shell ejection is effected by a lug extended into a selected one of two off-center bolt grooves which alters the direction of ejection of expended shells after firing.

Weaver Feb. 12, 1974 CONVERTIBLE BOLT ACTION RIFLE [76] Inventor: Norman K. Weaver, Rt. 3, Poplar f Examnfer Ben-lamm Borchelt Bluff, 6390! Assistant ExammerC. T. Jordan Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert G. McMorrow, Esq. [22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 339,136 [57] ABSTRACT A bolt action rifle is convertible for use by either right [52] US. Cl. 42/16, 42/25 hand or left hand shooters through alteration of the [51] Int. Cl F41c 11/00, F4lc 15/00 position of the bolt actuating handle and the shell [58] Field of Search 42/16, 25 eje trm The bolt actuating handle is mounted by screw means extended through a reversible sleeve. [56] References Cited Shell ejection is effected by a lug extended into a se- UNITED STATES PATENTS lected one of two elf-center bolt grooves which alters 3,341,963 9/1967 Seiderman 42/16 the directic of ejectim of expended shells after in FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS g 778,083 7/1957 Great Britain 42/16 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 12,1974

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Feb. 12, 1974 2 Sheets-Sheet Z CONVERTIBLE BOLT ACTION RIFLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to firearms, partuularly to rifle of the bolt action variety. More specifically, the rifle is one readily changed from right hand to left hand operation by a procedure which avoids any modification or alteration of the components.

2. Statement of the Prior Art Prior proposals for effecting conversion of bolt action weapons are reflected in the below listed prior patents:

Patent No. Patentee Issue Date 1,545,045 Dute July 7, I925 3,341,963 Seiderman Sept. 19, 1967.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Bolt action rifles are currently manufactured from designs essentially directed torrighhand shooters. Such left hand rifles as are commercially available generally comprise modifications, either custom or stock, of theee right hand design pieces. Often these are costly, and repair or replacement components are difficult to obtain. Previous attempts to provide convertible weapons, e.g., those wherein the bolt can be manipulated with the left hand, often result in difficulties with shell ejection in that, due to the fact that these rifles evolve from right hand weapons, the means for ejection of expended cartridge cases is meant to throw the case to the right or away from the shooter.

The present invention provides a rifle specifically designed to meet the needs of conversion by non-complex procedures from right hand to left hand operation involving only the reversal of position of four components. Such procedure may be readily accomplished without special tools and does not require extreme skill. The weapon may be inexpensively made if desired. In undertaking the conversion, it is simply necessary to remove and reverse the location of a single ejector lug, bolt actuating handle, and right and left extractors.

The weapon is neat in appearance, readily adapted for servicing, and positive in operation.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a rifle constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of this invention, showing the components in position for a right hand operation, and showing a cartridge case being expelled to the right;

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1 but showing the components reversed and a casing being expelled to the left;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the receiver and bolt section, of the rifle, the bolt being closed and in right hand operation position;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged transverse cross-section on line 55 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the ejector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in more detail, a convert ible bolt action rifle according to this invention is therein generally identified by reference character 10. The rifle 10 has, as its three principal components, a stock 12 usually formed of wood or plastic, a barrel 14, and action 16.

The stock 12 comprises a forearm section 18 and a butt section 20 with a terminal butt plate 22. The forearm section has a groove 24 formed therein in which the bar] is bedded, and an enlarged receiver opening 26 is also formed in the stock. The barrel 14 has a threaded breech end 28 and a muzzle end 30. The breech has the usual longitudinally extending rifle bore 32, with an enlarged chamber 34 at the breech in which a cartridge is seated during firing. The stock and barrel, as described, are conventional and components from firearms of prior designs may be employed in the invention apparatus.

Unique to the invention however, is the action 16. The action comprises a receiver assembly 36, a bolt assembly 38, and a trigger mechanism 40.

The receiver assembly 36 includes a base 42 of substantially concave elongate form having a forward vertical slot 44 therein into which a cartridge dispensing clip 46 is projected. The clip is releasably retained thereat by a pawl 48 mounted on a pivot 50 and urged into clip retaining position by a spring 52. Both the pivot and the spring are mounted in trigger housing 40a, described below. Immediately aft of the clip slot 44, both the housing 40a and the base 42 of the receiver have coaligned openings 47, 49 formed therein. These serve a purpose appearing belowalso. Still further aft, the receiver has a trigger slot 51 therein.

Mounted in the trigger housing 40a is a trigger 53 which projects outwardly within a trigger guard 54. At its upper side the trigger is restrained by a spring 56, but carries an arm 58 which is movable downwardly to release the firing mechanism upon actuation of the trigger against the bias of the spring 56. The trigger mechanism further has a guide 60 mounted in a catch 62. The trigger housing is retained in place by forward and rear mounting screws 64, 66, respectively. The trigger and mount are standard also in construction and in operation.

The receiver 36 further includes sides 68 and 70 integral with the base 42 and an upper portion 72. All of these define a bolt slideway 74. The sides have cutaway walls 76, 78 and the top is removed at 79 thereabove to permit the ejection of expended shells, and the slideway is open at the forward and rear ends 80, 82 thereof. The end has a threaded extension 84 in which the end headspace. of the barrel is adjustably secured to the proper headsce.

The bolt assembly 38 includes a bolt body portion 86 of two-section formation comprising a forward portion 88 and a rear portion 90. The body portion 86is slidably mounted in the slideway 74 and is adapted for diassembly therefrom. The forward portion 88 has a compound passageway 92 formed therein in which a firing pin 94 reciprocally mounted; the latter having an impact receiving head 96 normally biased outwardly by spring 98. Referring to FIG. 6, it is there best shown that the leading end of the section 88 is cut away at its lateral portions 100, 102, and has a transverse hole 104 extending therebetween. Pivoted on vertical extractor screws 106, 108 in these portions are interchangeable pulling and support extractors 110, 112, the support extractor 112 being slightly long than the pulling extractor 110. Each has a forward tooth, including a square tooth 114 and an angular tooth 116, and the trailing portions are interconnected by a coil spring 1 18 which extends through the hole 104. The extractors are adapted to withdraw the casing C of an expended cartridge from the chamber of the barrel, by engagement of the tooth 114 with the casing flange F.

It will be understood that the location of the firing pin 94 will vary depending upon whether the firearm is of the center fire variety or rim fire variety (shown here, FIG. 4, wherein the firing pin end 120 of the hammer is off-center).

The lower side 122 of the forward section of the bolt is flat and has a pair of parallel, spaced apart off-center slots 124, 126 formed therein.

The rear portion 90 of the bolt includes a head 128 interengaged with the forward section. A bore 130 extends into this head, and a hammer 132 having a hammer head 134 is slidably disposed therein. The hammer similarly has a chamber 136 and terminates in a reduced end 137 with a coaxial threaded outer opening 138. A spring 140 is retained in said chamber and urges the hammer forwardly as hereinafter described. The hammer has a base lug 142 extending through a door 144 formed in the rear portion 90. The lug has forward and rear inclined cam surfaces 146, 148. Upon release of the trigger, the lug rides over the trigger arm 58, permitting the spring 140 to thrust the hammer head against the firing pin with resultant discharge of the firearm. 1

At this point, two important features of the invention will be described. A bolt actuating handle adapted for either right hand or left hand operation is generally designated at 144. Such handle comprises an angular sleeve 143 having an opening 145. Extending from the sleeve at one side is a curved rigid stem 147 with an outwardly spaced knob 149. The sleeve is dimensioned to fit about the reduced ends 137 of the end portion of the bolt. A screw 150 with a threaded shank 152 is threadedly engaged in the opening 138 and has a head 154 of a size great enough to overlap the sleeve and affix the same in place.

It will be observed that the position of the bolt handle is reversible. That is, the screw 152 may be removed, the handle turned 180, and the screw reinserted.

Such reversal of the bolt handle however, does not fully accomplish the purposes of the invention. In order to completely convert the rifle for opposite hand use, the direction of cartridge case ejection must also be reversible. To this end, the ejector 156 hereof is supplied, shown per se in FIG. 7. The ejector comprises a foot element 158 having a flat top 160 and a curvilinear lower surface 162. A central threaded opening 164 receives a screw 166 which extends through the openings 47 and 49. At an off-center location, the ejector has an upstanding lug 168 which is selectively engageable in the slot 124 or the slot 126, dependent upon the orientation of the ejection. As the casing is withdrawn from the chamber after firing in the grip of the tooth 114, supported by the tooth 116, the casing upon contact with the lug is forcibly ejected, either to the right or to the left depending on whether the lug is in the slot 124 or in the slot 126, and on the position of the respective extractors. As a necessary modification of the assembly, when the direction of expulsion of the casing is altered, the extractors 1 10 and l 12 must be interchanged so that the pulling extractor is located on the side to which the direction of ejection is desired. Continued movement of the bolt serves to again cock the hammer by retention of the base lug 142 behind the trigger arm.

I claim:

1. A convertible bolt action rifle, having a chamber receiving a shell casing, the shell casing having a flange, and having a rifle barrel with a bore, the rifle comprismg:

a receiver defining a bolt slideway opening on the chamber and bore of said rifle barrel at one end and being open at the other end, the receiver and barrel being mounted in a rifle stock;

a bolt assembly including bolt body portion slidably and releasably mounted in the receiver for movement in the slideway;

a firing pin mechanism within the bolt body portion and a hammer and trigger assembly associated with the firing pin;

the bolt body portion having a first end abutting the rifle barrel in closed position and having a second end;

an actuating bolt handle secured reversibly to the second end of the bolt body portion;

spring biased shell extractor means on the first end of the bolt to withdraw the casing of an expended shell from the chamber of the barrel; and

an ejector including an upstandng lug reversibly mounted in said receiver with the lug projecting into the slideway to eject the casing upon rearward movement of the bolt body portion.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the bolt body portion has a pair of spaced apart, longitudinally extending slots formed therein; and

the lug extends into a selected one of said slots, selected as a function of the desired direction of ejection of the casing.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the receiver has sides and the bolt body portion has a bottom; and

the bottom of the bolt body portion has cutaway wells formed therein aligned with the location of the lug.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the second end of the bolt body portion has a threaded opening formed therein; and

a screw is threadedly engaged in said opening to retain the bolt hande in place.

5. A convertible bolt action rifle, having a chamber receiving a shell casing, the shell casing having a flange, and having a rifle barrel with a bore, the rifle comprismg:

a receiver including a base, sides, an upper portion and ends;

the receiver defining a bolt slideway and one of said ends opening on the chamber and bore of said rifle barrel, the other of said ends being open;

a rifle stock, the receiver and the barrel being mounted therein;

a bolt assembly including a bolt with a bolt body portion slidably and releasably mounted in the slideway of said receiver;

the bolt body portion having a first end abutting the rifle barrel at said chamber in closed position, and having a second end extending through and outwardly of the other said end of the receiver;

the second end of the bolt having a coaxial, threaded opening formed therein;

a bolt actuating handle comprising an annular sleeve, a curved stem and a knob, the sleeve having an opening aligned with the threaded opening of the bolt body portion;

a screw having a threaded shank extended through the sleeve opening and engaged in the threaded opening and having a head retaining the sleeve 6 against the bolt, the actuating handle being reversible; v

the bolt body portion including a forward end section with a flat lower surface, said forward end section having a pair of spaced apart, parallel, off-center slots formed therein extending longitudinally;

a pair of spring urged extractors pivotally secured to the forward end section of the bolt, each having a tooth to grip the flange of a shell casing to withdraw said casing from the chamber upon rearward movement of the bolt;

an ejector comprising a foot element secured to the base of the receiver and an upstanding, longitudinal off-center lug; and

said foot element being reversible in position to extend said lug into a selected one of said slots in the forward section of the bolt. 

1. A convertible bolt action rifle, having a chamber receiving a shell casing, the shell casing having a flange, and having a rifle barrel with a bore, the rifle comprising: a receiver defining a bolt slideway opening on the chamber and bore of said rifle barrel at one end and being open at the other end, the receiver and barrel being mounted in a rifle stock; a bolt assembly including bolt body portion slidably and releasably mounted in the receiver for movement in the slideway; a firing pin mechanism within the bolt body portion and a hammer and trigger assembly associated with the firing pin; the bolt body portion having a first end abutting the rifle barrel in closed position and having a second end; an actuating bolt handle secured reversibly to the second end of the bolt body portion; spring biased shell extractor means on the first end of the bolt to withdraw the casing of an expended shell from the chamber of the barrel; and an ejector including an upstandng lug reversibly mounted in said receiver with the lug projecting into the slideway to eject the casing upon rearward movement of the bolt body portion.
 2. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the bolt body portion has a pair of spaced apart, longitudinally extending slots formed therein; and the lug extends into a selected one of said slots, selected as a function of the desired direction of ejection of the casing.
 3. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the receiver has sides and the bolt body portion has a bottom; and the bottom of the bolt body portion has cutaway wells formed therein aligned with the location of the lug.
 4. The invention of claim 1, wherein: the second end of the bolt body portion has a threaded opening formed therein; and a screw is threadedly engaged in said opening to retain the bolt hande in place.
 5. A convertible bolt action rifle, having a chamber receiving a shell casing, the shell casing having a flange, and having a rifle barrel with a bore, the rifle comprising: a receiver including a base, sides, an upper portion and ends; the receiver defining a bolt slideway and one of said ends opening on the chamber and bore of said rifle barrel, the other of said ends being open; a rifle stock, the receiver and the barrel being mounted therein; a bolt assembly including a bolt with a bolt body portion slidably and releasably mounted in the slideway of said receiver; the bolt body portion having a first end abutting the rifle barrel at said chamber in closed position, and having a second end extending through and outwardly of the other said end of the receiver; the second end of the bolt having a coaxial, threaded opening formed therein; a bolt actuating handle comprising an annular sleeve, a curved stem and a knob, the sleeve having an opening aligned with the threaded opening of the bolt body portion; a screw having a threaded shank extended through the sleeve opening and engaged in the threaded opening and having a head retaining the sleeve against the bolt, the actuating handle being reversible; the bolt body portion including a forward end section with a flat lower surface, said forward end section having a pair of spaced apart, parallel, off-center slots formed therein extending longitudinally; a pair of spring urged extractors pivotally secured to the forward end section of the bolt, each having a tooth to grip the flange of a shell casing to withdraw said casing from the chamber upon rearward movement of the bolt; an ejector comprising a foot element secured to the base of the receiver and an upstanding, longitudinal off-center lug; and said foot element being reversible in position to extend said lug into a selected one of said slots in the forward section of the bolt. 